Broadway Beat Tony 2010 Q&A: Christopher Walken

The Tony Awards Nominations were announced Tuesday, May 4th and the Tony Awards will be broadcast in a live three-hour ceremony from Radio City Music Hall on the CBS television network on Sunday, June 13, 2010.

The day after the nominations, on Wednesday, May 5th, Broadway Beat talked to nearly all of the nominated stars in advance of a special two-part Broadway Beat Tony Awards extravanganza. Every day, we'll be presenting unedited, raw "Short Takes" sneak peeks of some of these amazing interviews. Next up - Christopher Walken, nominated for Best Leading Actor in a Play for his performance in A BEHANDING IN SPOKANE. Read the transcript of his interview below!

Click here for the complete list of Tony Reactions from all the nominees that BroadwayWorld.com checked in with after the nominations were announced!

Want to watch the nomination announcement and relive the fun? Click here.

Click here for complete photo coverage of 'The Women' and Click here for complete coverage of 'The Men.'

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CW: Well it's wonderful. You know, I've been doing this a long time, show business, and I've been around Broadway my whole life. I did a lot of musicals in the chorus when I was younger and, you know, at this point in my life, career, to have this happen is great.

Bway Beat: Talk about this role in this great play. I've seen your show 4 times already...

CW: Oh yeah?

Bway Beat: And what I love about the play is that it's like a tennis match, a really great tennis match between all of you and the audience. What it's been like for you...talk about the play and the audience.

CW: Well that's a good way to put it. The actors like each other a lot and I think that is felt and is part of the play. And the interplay between the audience, as you say, is almost Elizabethan. The audience is almost another character in the play. And they get quite vocal sometimes; it's Elizabethan really...a lot like musical comedy. You know the audiences are a little bit noisier than they are for a lot of plays. On Saturday night it's practically rock and roll. And I think that sort of fun is infectious.

Bway Beat: What do you love about Martin as a playwright? I love all of his plays. When you first read the play, what'd you think?

CW: For an actor, some of the stuff that I say is pretty rough. And I thought it was pretty dangerous unless it was funny so I think we're lucky it's funny.

Bway Beat: Do you get to meet some of the audience members after the show?

CW: Sure

Bway Beat: What I love about your audience is you're getting a lot of people who are coming to the theater for the very first time and you guys are sort of changing it for them. What's your reaction with the audience when you meet them afterwards?

CW: Well you meet them during the show, in fact. There's a real feeling of back and forth and occasionally we've even spoken to each other. It does have a kind of tennis thing. And often there's a bunch of people outside the theater afterwards. It's unusual for me, being in the theater my whole life, it's pretty unique.

Bway Beat: The best part of the experience for you has been what? Is it the cast? What has it been for you?

CW: Well, the whole thing. The director was wonderful, John Crowley, and Martin McDonough was there all the time. He's very quiet. He hardly says anything. For a man who writes so well and is so good with words, he doesn't talk much. And the other actors, we all liked each other immediately and it's been very nice.

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BroadwayWorld.com is THE place to watch for the best and most comprehensive coverage of the 2010 Tony Awards. Check back daily for new photos, videos and more from all the nominated shows and performers on our mega 2010 site!

Broadway Beat, the popular weekly television program for and about the Theatre World, right here on the web site. Broadway Beat is the premier, award-winning half hour television program covering theatre, music and performers. Each week, the show's popular and knowledgeable host, Richard Ridge, takes you behind-the-scenes for a look at the very best of New York Theatre - on Broadway, and beyond. The show always features beautiful footage shot by video veteran Bradshaw Smith.

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